Radschool Association Magazine - Vol 33

Page 9

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Allan George's Gems.

Saltwater or Petrol??

An inventor in the US, John Kanzius, who was a Radtech of sorts, was trying to find a cure for cancer. He knew that ultra-high radio waves caused certain metals to heat up so he figured if he could get someone to ingest a small amount of a particular metal, one that would attach itself to the cancer cells in the body, then bombarding the body with RF would cause the metal to heat up and the heated metal would then ‘burn’ and destroy the cancer cell.

A good idea in principle!!

But, as often happens, John found his invention had a ‘side effect’. He found that if normal salt water from the ocean was bombarded with the RF, it released Oxygen and Hydrogen, which as every first year high school student knows, are two elements that, when combined in the right mixture, will burn at a very high temperature. And – as there is virtually a never ending supply of salt water, had he stumbled on a new cheap, endless supply of fuel – fuel that could provide clean power for our cars, trucks, boats and trains??.  

Well, no actually!!!  At the moment, John’s invention consumes more energy producing the RF than is released from the water, but he’s working on it – (Who was it who said energy cannot be created or destroyed).

You can see video of his invention HERE

The climbing excavator.

I had seen the still photos of this, but the video is even more amazing! This is from a German TV program called "You want to bet . . . " and the bet is that this excavator can climb up a 20 meter (60 feet) high tower and stand on its head, all within 15 minutes.

Click on the machine (at left) to watch the video.

Invisible aircraft.

“This is your captain speaking, your plane is about to become invisible!”

Aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has revealed it hopes to build a passenger plane with a completely transparent fuselage. At the push of a button the captain would send an electrical pulse through a hi-tech ceramic skin making the main body of the plane see-through.

The extraordinary design would allow travellers to look down on cities and landscapes thousands of feet below or gaze up at the heavens, giving them the sensation of floating unassisted through the sky. While the proposal might seem far-fetched, it is one of a number of plans being considered by engineers at the European aerospace giant.

"Passengers in an airplane like this would experience flight in a completely new way," Airbus' head of research and technology, Axel Krein, said. (Some would freak out too – I would think!! AG)

Other developments envisaged by Krein's team include an aircraft skin that can repair itself in the event of cracks or breaches and streamline engines that are embedded in the plane's fuselage rather than attached to its wings (Didn’t de Havilland do that with the DH 106 Comet back in 1949??). "We told our engineers to give their imaginations free rein. What emerged were completely realistic visions of flight in the year 2050," Mr Krein told Der Spiegel. "Our people are grounded in reality, after all. And most of the necessary technology already exists."

Business class?

You know the situation, you wait for ages in the international “cattle-class” check-in line, shuffling forward inch by inch, waiting to get to the counter to present your passport, drop off your bags and collect your boarding pass.  You look over to the first/business class line and it seems to be speeding through, people in that line seem to spend only a few minutes before they’re sorted and on their way to the Sheraton Class departure lounge while you wonder if you’ll even make the flight.

But – sometimes, and only sometimes, you hear those magic words. You finally make it to the check in counter and the attendant greets you with a great big smile and informs you that as Economy has been over booked they can offer you an upgrade to Business - WOW!!!

With business class tickets costing around six times as much as economy, not many of us has experienced this form of travel, so when you get the offer, it’s like winning the lottery.

Qantas business class seats

lie almost flat.

But is Business Class really worth the extra money??

When you first enter the aircraft, you get the feeling that you’re in for something special. Instead of the incredibly cramped legroom, where, if you’ve got the window seat, your seating companions have to stand up and move to the corridor so you can be seated, where there are fights for space in the overhead lockers and if you’re late in boarding and getting to your seat you find you have to ‘hunt’ for space to put your belongings – no, this time you get shown to your seat by an attentive flight attendant and depending on the aircraft, you are shown to one of those futuristic “pod” seats that let you stretch out like you were in your own bed, complete with a private drawer underneath in which you can place your belongings.

Bliss!!

Once seated, you’re offered a warm facial towel to refresh yourself and a chilled glass of champagne or juice, chocolate coated macadamia nuts, lip balm, moisturizer, now you’re really living.

And then the doors close, the aircraft is pushed back, you sit through the safely demonstration of which absolutely no-one takes the faintest bit of notice and you’re on your way to London, a journey which will take about 26 hours. Now you’re over the moon at the thought of having your own private area for the duration of the flight, free from seat-kicking, arm-bumping, coughing and sneezing fellow passengers. Business class is definitely miles ahead in style and comfort, but, is it??

An economy class seat from Brisbane to London, via Qantas (there are cheaper fares, but we’ll stick with Qantas) is $1,757 while a Business Class seat costs a whopping $11,240 – that’s a difference of $9,483.

Unless you’re dripping money from most open areas or someone else is paying (or you get a free upgrade) you really can, and do, sit in and put up with cattle class for those 26 hours, knowing that when you arrive at your destination, you will have a spare $9,483 to play with and splurge on your holiday.

For most of us, there really isn’t a question – is there??

How to score a “FREE” airline upgrade.

SCORING a seat upgrade, although rare, is not altogether unknown. Most airline staff are told to remain tight-lipped on upgrading policies, insisting that travellers are wasting their time in their attempts to score a better seat. However, travel experts and regular airline travellers insist there are tactics you can use to increase your chances of getting an upgrade.

Here are their tips:

1.    Look your best, dress nicely for your flight, ditch the backpack, thongs and tracksuit pants; present yourself neatly and polish up your manners and you may find yourself sipping on champagne in either first or business class. Cut-off shorts, jeans with holes, or those old athletic shoes may be really comfortable, but neat casual or semi-professional attire is the name of the game in the world of airline upgrades. After you board the plane, you can always change to more comfortable clothing but make sure you put your change of clothes in a small carry-on bag.

2.   Volunteer to be bumped from your flight. If you’re not in a hurry, don’t be one of the first to check in, wait until last and there is a good chance that the aircraft could be full. If you volunteer to wait for a later aircraft you’ll find you’ll almost always be rebooked in first class and perhaps receive a voucher for future upgrades.

3.   Travel on busy days. With a sold-out flight there is more chance of an upgrade if first or business class passengers don’t show up, which is more likely to happen on busy days.

4.   Never, ever, ask for an upgrade at the check in counter. Unless you are a high-level frequent flyer on the airline you're flying, do not ask, even subtly, for an upgrade. Your request is interpreted by the airline staff as you saying 'So, what are you going to offer me free for my inconvenience today?'

5.   Flirt your way to a better seat. Address the agent by his/her first name and find something positive to say to them, as they really appreciate that rare compliment. Never complain to the check-in staff, smile, be happy, and flirt a little. It’s amazing how far a bit of flirting will get you – it’s a bit like offering a RAAF cook a six pack!!

6.   Travel alone. You’re more likely to score an upgrade if you travel alone as it’s more than likely there will be one seat available than two or three.

7.   Always sign up for the frequent flyer program of the airline, or its frequent flyer partner airline, in which you'll be flying. A frequent flyer number implies a certain degree of loyalty, and the airlines are more likely to upgrade passengers who are or appear to be their ‘loyal’ customers. Even if you are new to the airline's frequent flyer program, it's unlikely that someone will check how many points or miles actually are in your account.”

8.   Don’t be an early bird. These days the focus is more on configurations and logistics. Airlines allow for no-shows by double booking some seats, so when everyone turns up to board the flight, the late arrivals are usually bumped up into a higher class.

9.   And remember, airline staff have heard everything under the sun so be creative and see how far a little lie can take you.

The Alarm.

Sometimes it’s a good idea to get out of bed when the alarm goes off – see HERE

Presision.

This is possibly the best definition of precision drilling every seen, even better than Appy Squadron, Laverton. The weapons are U.S. made Garand M-1 rifles (WWII), they are old and they are heavy (4 kg each)

How that young bloke manages to spin the rifle the way he does is a mystery – obviously, far too much time on the bull ring.

Have a look HERE

Maths.

How do you divide $750,843 into two equal parts without using a calculator?  Give in ??

Look HERE

Landing??

Landing 101 – how not to land a Harrier – see HERE

Early detection.

Before God made Radar, how do you suppose incoming air raids were detected? With damn big hearing aids that’s how!!

You really gotta hand it to those groundies……..

An interesting perspective?

On Vietnam Veterans’ Day, the 18^th August, 2010, Wng/Cdr Wayne “Noddy” Parsons (right) gave a speech to group of like-minded people in Perth, WA. We hear that there were some surprised looks on the faces of some pollies and bureaucrats in the audience.

You can read the speech HERE.

Rare WW2 German Photos.

Time – Life magazine has released a bunch of never before seen photos which were taken during Hitler’s reign in Germany. It includes photos of the launch of the Volkswagen beetle which was released in 1937 by the Nazi trade union.

Hitler and his cronies certainly knew how to put on a show! 

You can see the photos HERE

Subsistence Whale Hunting.

This is how they hunt whales in the Faroe Islands, a small group which is north of Scotland and east of Norway. The Faroe Islands are a constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark and have been since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have been granted control of most matters however, some areas still remain the responsibility of Denmark, such as military defence and foreign affairs.

Whaling in the Faroe Islands has been practiced since about the time of the first Norse settlements on the islands, about 1,200 years ago. It is regulated by Faroese authorities but not by the International Whaling Commission as there are disagreements about the Commission's competency for small cetaceans. Around 950 Long-finned Pilot Whales are killed annually, mainly during the summer. The hunts, called "grindadráp" in Faroese, are non-commercial and are organized on a community level; anyone can participate. The hunters first surround the pilot whales with a wide semicircle of boats which then drive the pilot whales slowly into a bay or to the bottom of a fjord.

Most Faroese consider the hunt an important part of their culture and history. The meat and blubber of the whale has been an important part of the islanders' staple diet, the blubber, in particular, has been highly valued both as food and for processing into oil, which was used for lighting fuel and other purposes. Parts of the skin of pilot whales were also used for ropes and lines, while stomachs were used as floats.

Animal-rights groups criticize the hunt as being cruel and unnecessary, as they would!!. As of the end of November 2008 the chief medical officers of the Faroe Islands have recommended that pilot whales no longer be considered fit for human consumption because of the levels of toxins in the whales

You can see how they do it HERE

Stoned.

There was a big deal in the news recently over a girl in Iran who was scheduled to be stoned for infidelity or adultery or something like that. But nobody seems to care that they've been stoning people in Afghanistan lately. I wonder why that is.  See HERE

Isn’t it just the most horrific and barbaric thing to do to another human being!!!

Retirement??

Ever wondered what Boeing Engineers did when they retired??  Have a look HERE

and, finally, a keyboard for old retired blokes, click HERE.

Folding.

There’s nothing like putting on a new shirt – one that comes in a box and has all those pins and bits of cardboard. They look great the way they are folded so perfectly, don’t you wish you could re-fold the shirt once you’ve worn it and ran it though the washing machine.

Well, now you can, click HERE to see an easy way to fold your shirt – to make it look the way it comes in a box.

And, if you want to know how to fold a T-shirt, the way they are displayed in the shops – click HERE

Kick a footy?

And all you who thought Jimmy Jess (who played for the best club in the AFL) could kick a football - wait until you see this bloke.

Elderly Love.

We don't usually go in for those talent quest type TV shows, but this act is one of the best we've seen for many a day. Look HERE. (Turn your volume up and go for full screen)

Timely warning.

In the US, they have come up with a new way of 'pinching' cars, and you can bet it won't be long before it happens out here - if it hasn't already. With most cars these days having anti-theft devices fitted as standard, things such as steering wheel locks, engine immobilizers etc, the job of the car nicker is a lot harder than it used to be. But, whoever said that crooks were dumb obviously didn't know what he/she was talking about, they are a very ingenious mob and have devised a way of nicking a car without too much effort at all.

Have a look at THIS. (This footage is taken from a car park security camera - so there is no sound)

Conspiracy??

There is an old saying that goes, "believe stuff-up before conspiracy". We reckon that it is pretty well on the money as we think you can be 99% sure that whenever something goes horribly wrong, it will be caused by a "stuff-up" of one sort or another.

It seems the people in the USA don't go for that maxim - a lot of them take the alternate view and back the conspiracy theory well in advance of the "stuff-up" theory.

And, when you bring up the subject of 9 -11,  the conspirators are everywhere - take a look at THIS

How does a man show that he is planning for the future?
He buys two cartons of beer.

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